Monica Hunasikatti

I have a Master's Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Library and Information Studies. I am also a 2015 graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. I have a double majored in African American Studies and Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies.

Teaching Librarian Philosophy:

With a colonized environment and biased institutional systems betting against communities of color and working-class families, we have to be prepared to teach within these harsh and oppressive frameworks. Through modifying guidelines within the ALA, my teaching style incorporates a decolonizing structure, with decentering English and Eurocentric history in both theory and practice, working closely with disability accommodations on an institutional and personal level with staff and students, (interpreters, basic understanding of American-Sign Language, closed captioning on all videos shown,) and addressing white supremacist, cis-heteronormative influences within the Library of Congress and Dewey Decimal systems. This is to aid students and educators on their respective quests to evaluate and find information.

My teaching philosophy revolves around accessibility, enthusiasm, and equipping students with the ability to develop and execute concrete research plans. Teaching should involve compassion and understanding. A teacher should never be exclusionary in their practices or their beliefs surrounding who is allowed to succeed in the world of academia. I bring light, laughter, and more than a basic understanding of materials into the classroom. Students will be engaged through physical and mental exercises (Flash Talks and oral presentations) alongside non-traditional learning material (info-graphics, audio files, zines, etc). The concept of literacy both in literal and cross-cultural understandings will be important when researching information, which means including and comprehending oral, visual, and digital literacy. To be literate is more than being able to read the written word. These should be utilized consistently throughout the classroom. Students should walk away with not just the knowledge of being able to access databases and determine what research is relevant, but also to question the authority of the content they absorb.

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-hunasikatti

Please email me if you have any inquiries!

Email: [email protected]